Making Things Right & Strengthening Friendships
by changingdestiny40
Summary: A season 3 AU in which Barry and Iris, knowing they've been terrible friends, strive to make things right with Caitlin and Cisco, putting their friendships with them ahead of themselves. (Please let me know if anyone thinks this title is crap and would like to suggest a better one)


**After looking back in my mind and reading the thoughts of others, I've come to realize that Barry and Iris were lousy friends to the team in S3, focusing more on Iris's impending death than being there for them. This one shot is my own attempt at rectifying that.**

**I also apologize for not having this ready sooner. I was going to finish then post this yesterday but ended up working on this later than I intended and ended up posting it today.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Flash".**

Barry and Iris were standing inside of Star Labs while Cisco and Caitlin stood across from them, wondering why their two friends had requested their presence.

"So what's going on man? Do we have a mission or something this afternoon?", Cisco asked curiously, eyebrows quirked while folding his arms.

"Yeah Barry, what's up and what's on your mind as well Iris?", Caitlin also asked, pursing her lips while leaning against the table behind her.

After sharing a look with Iris, Barry responded.

"As you know guys, I've been trying to do everything in my power to save Iris here after learning about her impending death while she's also been focused on saving her own life. It's because of this, that we haven't been around much", he said to them, his voice starting to fill with regret over his last few words. Caitlin and Cisco's faces immediately turned sympathetic, understanding what they'd both been going through.

"Hey man it's alright and we both understand. It's not like you've been around for a while but we do understand the circumstances and are doing everything we can to help", Cisco replied, a very slight tinge of bitterness in his voice when he mentioned Barry not being around but did his best to completely hide it.

"Cisco's right Barry, we're here for both of you and are doing all we can to save you Iris", Caitlin added compassionately. "Why, have you guys caught a break in the case or something you need our help with in regards to this?"

Both Barry and Iris were touched by their friends words of kindness towards them but it also made them feel all the more guilty in regards to the subject matter and more resolved in discussing the subject matter they'd called them over to explain to them. And despite Cisco's attempt, they had caught the slight note of bitterness in Cisco's voice and felt even more remorseful as to how they'd been handling things lately and felt even more determined to set things right. Barry then continued.

"We both appreciate that very much and you'll always have our gratitude. However it has nothing to do with us and everything to do with you guys", Barry explained to them. Iris then continued from where he'd left off.

"You see, me and Bar have been talking, and we've come to the realization that we haven't been spending enough time with you guys", she said to them, her voice filled with remorse. "We've been so busy prioritizing my impending death that we've been very crappy friends towards you. You Cisco were in need of our friendship and love after your brother's accident but we weren't there enough for you like we should've. And what you've been struggling with Caitlin in regards to your Killer Frost persona is just as important but we've been so focused on me that we've been neglecting to help and support you, making us both very lousy friends."

"Iris is right guys. It's as though we, and myself especially myself, have been so focused on preventing Iris's death that it's as though all of you be da****", "Barry resumed in regards to what he was trying to say while starting to get emotional. "I swear that wasn't my intent but it might as well have been. I just want to say that I'm so sorry for neglecting you, for not being a good friend, and for not being there when you both needed me the most. You guys are just as important to me as Iris is, have both been there since the very beginning, and it's time I start giving you the support and respect you deserve."

As Cisco and Caitlin listened to Barry's words, their eyes starting to pool with unshed tears, Iris spoke up once more.

"I completely concur with everything Barry just said, and I am also so very sorry for everything as well and for not being there for you as much as we both should've", she also apologized to them, her own eyes glistening with tears. "I may be about to die soon, but the world doesn't revolve around me and I want to make things right. We both do."

Barry waited for Iris to finish her words, and then got to the point.

"As part of making things right with you guys, we've both decided to create a fund in which people can donate money to numerous charities that work hard to create awareness for road safety and preventing car accidents and drunk driving in order to reduce the number these types of accidents", he explained to them. "We'd like to help contribute as best we can to these types of organizations Cisco so that we can prevent what happened to your brother from happening to anyone else.

"We've also spoken with your family and have arranged to have a special celebration tomorrow afternoon honoring Dante's life and what he meant to all of you guys. We've gotten photographs showing his best moments with you guys and your fun, brotherly moments with him as well."

"As for you Caitlin, I've booked us both a girls weekend for a fun time at the spa with plenty of pampering and relaxation, followed by a shopping spree, just us girls. And plus you can be assured that all of us as a group will work hard together to figure out what's going on with you while giving you all of the emotional support you need. You're like a sister to me Caitlin and I'm never going to neglect my sister ever again", Iris also said, and then added the last few words with a warm smile directed towards the other woman."

"Another thing, but I feel like it's been a while since we've time for just us 3 and therefore I'd like to rectify that and have us hang out together more often. No Team Flash related business. Just outings among friends. What do you say guys?"

Cisco and Caitlin, tears now streaming down their cheeks, rushed forward and took turns unfolding their friends in a warm embrace.

"Of course we accept your apology, both of your apologies, and you both have no idea how much all of this means to both of us", Caitlin responded while wiping her eyes.

"Yeah man, I'd love to hang out with you more Barry and I can't even describe how grateful I am for your plans to honor my brother and his life", Cisco added gratefully, trying to hold back his tears in an effort to be cool and macho, but failing, which gave his friends a good hearted chuckle. "And creating a fund to help support other groups and foundations that work to prevent automobile collisions and drunk driving accidents is the best gift you could ever give to myself and my family."

"Cisco's right, and maybe also a nice girls weekend away would be just what the doctor ordered and I'll be sure to pack my bags as soon as possible", Caitlin happily said. "And I'd like to thank all of you for being there for me in regards to dealing with my Killer Frost persona. I trust that we'll all work together to figure out what's happening to me and again, thank you all so much".

"Of course Caitlin. You're my family and I'd do anything to help my family. And believe me when I say that all of us are in all of this together", Barry answered her, followed by the four of them coming together in a group hug and embracing tightly while crying like babies, Barry and Iris continuously apologizing for being terrible friends and vowing to be better.

True to their word, Barry and Iris did everything they promised and the event to honor Dante's life and legacy was very wonderful, fun, and brought tears of joy to the Ramons, all of them, and Cisco especially, continuously expressing their gratitude for this precious gift and the donations the four friends had discussed earlier. Everyone also enjoyed looking at the photos of Dante at different points in his life, some even giving them a good laugh.

Caitlin would also go on to have a great day at the spa that weekend, Iris having paid for everything, and both ladies enjoyed soaking in warm bubble baths followed by deep, relaxing massages. They also sat back and relaxed on reclining chairs, bath towels wrapped around their bodies while fresh cucumber slices covered their eyes. They also went on a shopping spree as Iris had promised and boy they did they shop. They would purchase so many things they wouldn't know what to do with it, but it was fun and that's all that mattered.

The weekend would do wonders for Caitlin's mentality in that she'd never felt so refreshed, relaxed, calm, and carefree in her entire life. That in turn would do wonders in helping her Killer Frost persona and impulses at bay for quite a while.

Barry on his part also took time to hang out with her and Cisco from time to time but more often than usual, just the three of them. Together they went out on picnics, to museums, walks along Central City and using those walks to take in the hot spots. They even attended things each of them preferred, such as an engineering conference Cisco attended from time to time, a medical facility that a good friend of Caitlin's owned and she enjoyed going to in order to see the latest advancements in the field of medicine, and a forensics department that Barry liked visiting.

All of these visits would give the three friends a greater respect for each other's work and interests and they learned more from each other than they ever had before. They even wondered and discussed among themselves why they hadn't done these types of things before.

Sometimes Barry would make quality time with either Cisco or Caitlin by themselves, spending time as a twosome, and they would go out for drinks, karaoke, dancing, and other fun stuff, Barry making more of an effort to further deepen his friendships on an individual level. And on the days he was unavailable to do so because of work at the CCPD, Iris took one or both of them out in his stead and they always had a great time together.

One time, Caitlin and Iris went to a karaoke club and after having drank a little too much, leaving them both tipsy, they sang _"Umbrella" _by Rihanna but were kind of off key, drawing rambunctious but good natured laughter from the audience. It was still a lot of fun and they'd received a standing ovation afterwards.

One day, Barry came up with the idea to take Caitlin to yoga and meditation classes regularly in an effort to help her further relax her mind and learn control and discipline, helping her to find her center. Soon Cisco, and even Iris, started attending these classes and all four of them made it a common occurrence. These sessions, which usually happened three times a week, helped not only Caitlin but also Barry, Cisco, and Iris, giving them more emotional stability, discipline, and levelheadedness. Iris on her part really benefitted from it and it would help her greater control over her emotions while gaining a calm, rational personality which stayed with her always.

None of them benefited more from these sessions however than Caitlin herself. She would obtain even greater control over her mind and her burgeoning powers.

Part of that control over her powers also came from Barry putting her through training sessions to help her with them and they were a great help. Joe also helped a bit with that as well and for which Caitlin was truly grateful.

Iris also went to the bookstore regularly and began doing research into the D.I.D., or split personality, condition in order to see if she could help Caitlin on that front.

One day, Barry accompanied Cisco to his brother's grave site and he stayed with him as Cisco knelt by the tombstone and cried, Barry's hand on Cisco's shoulder the entire time.

Barry and Iris would go on to do these minds of things for their friends regularly while continuously doing all they could to make up for their neglect, and Cisco and Caitlin would be forever grateful for their care and warmth towards them. The four of them now had a stronger and better friendship and that's all that mattered them.

**The End**

**A/N Do you see how simple this was? This one shot of mine, along with my ****_"Arrowverse Corrections" _****series and even the fics of others, really show how simple good writing and avoiding character assassinations is. That just causes us to have to wonder what was wrong with the writes in the past. They're supposed to be the professionals and all of this shows that they could've avoided so many problems in terms of bad writing. Oh well.**

**Have a wonderful day.**


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